A Guide to Chic Farmhouse Style, According to Experts

Outfitting your home with the best decorative accents allows you to change the tone of your space, especially with popular design aesthetics like farmhouse. The perennially-popular style focuses on creating rustic spaces that are simple and inviting, and of course, beautiful. Modern farmhouse style, meanwhile, promotes the same welcoming spirit but centers on clean lines, bright neutrals, and high contrast. For those who can’t get enough of farmhouse design, we spoke to experts to share insight on the chic must-haves for your shopping cart.

First off: It shouldn’t be too precious. Pottery Barn’s Chief Design Officer, Monica Bhargava, says, “Warmth, comfort, and a certain familiarity are at the heart of farmhouse style. The materials are often humble, but there’s beauty in the simplicity.”

“We typically start with the ‘aha’ piece of antique furniture (the one you can’t stop thinking about) and build from there,” say Laeticia Gorra and Sarah Needleman of Roarke Studio (who designed the interiors for country homewares store The Six Bells). After that, says the duo, mix and matching is key to conquering the style. “In our interpretation of farmhouse chic, we use a lot of layers, both in materials and prints,” they advise. Read on for more expert tips on achieving the style at home.

How to Create a Chic Farmhouse Home

Bhargava’s farmhouse checklist will ensure you’ve found the best pieces. “It’s a style with an interesting juxtaposition of materials – warm natural wood next to woven naturals, crisp whites. The combination of clean, simple lines and relaxed materials makes things feel elevated and laid-back all at once,” Bharagava explains. So here’s what to include:

• Woven textures
• Accents of bronze and black
• Casual comfortable sofas
• Neutral bedding.
• A lot of white
• High contrast between coffee/side table or fixtures/mirrors
• A touch of patina

If you’re big on statement pieces in your home, Gorra and Needleham find charm in the details. “Country iconography is timeless and for that reason, it’s both lovely and doubles as a good investment. Antiques with roosters, tulips, schoolhouses, and other traditional farmhouse symbols are usually the first ones I gravitate to,” says Audrey. Prepared to begin? The duo suggests searching for large antique pieces that will ground the space, like a farmhouse table or breakfast buffet. Shop our chic farmhouse decor finds below!